About Pug Rescue

Each adopted pug is up to date on distemper/parvo, bordetella, and rabies vaccinations. PRA pays for the pug to be neutered and treated for heartworms (if necessary). Each PRA pug is on monthly heartworm and flea medication throughout his or her time in foster care. If immediate and/or life threatening medical conditions arise during foster care, PRA pays for those surgeries. Less life threatening surgeries, such as dental cleanings, become the responsibility of the adopter.

Most of the pugs we rescue have been in abusive, neglectful situations. We are searching to find them forever homes. Our adoption process is very thorough to ensure the applicant and pug are the right fit for each other.

If you are approved to adopt a pug, your application is forwarded to our Trial Visit Coordinator. He/She will then work with you to match you with a pug. You can meet several dogs at adoption days or meet & greets. Once you know the pug you want, we can arrange a trial visit. The pug comes to stay with you for a week to ten days and should you choose to adopt, we will email you the contract and payment instructions.

PRA holds meet and greet events each month in Austin and San Antonio! Because we do home visits on every adopter, we cannot adopt to people from out of state. Occasionally, we can adopt outside of Austin or San Antonio in the central Texas area depending on the location and if we have a home visit volunteer in your area.

We do a thorough background check to ensure that our dogs are placed in safe, stable forever homes. Most often, our pugs have been abandoned, abused and neglected. It is our responsibility to do all we can to find the best possible homes where they can live the remainder of their lives receiving the love that they deserve. The information is confidential and will not be shared with any individuals or organizations outside of Pug Rescue of Austin.

Becoming a pet owner involves an ongoing commitment (in some cases over 15 years or more) to provide quality nutrition, health care and a great deal of love and patience. It has been our experience that before the age of 21, most people are not equipped to make such a commitment primarily because they are not financially stable. This is an important point to consider, because if a person is not financially stable, the entire health and well-being of the pet will be at risk. PRA will generally not approve an applicant who is under 21 but will consider on a case-by-case basis younger applicants who have demonstrated maturity, responsibility and financial stability.

There are as many different reasons as there are dogs needing homes. Each dog is an individual, and they have their own personalities. If the time is taken to do research and to train the dog properly, a pug can be a wonderful companion.

Here are some of the top reasons that dogs end up in rescue:

Owners moving/ too much trouble to take the dog too

Owners are having a baby, and don’t have time for the dog

Owners bought the dog for the kids, now the kids have lost interest

The owners are getting divorced

The owner is getting married

The owner married/and or had children and the new spouse/ and or kids are allergic to the dog

The owner bought a new puppy, and it didn’t get along with the old dog

The dog sheds too much

It keeps getting pregnant

It isn’t housebroken

The dog doesn’t listen when I tell it to do something

The dog barks too much

The dog plays too rough with my kids

The dog bites strangers

Most of these situations are preventable. Researching the breed before adoption is crucial so that there will be no surprises later. Also, good training could have remedied some of the unwanted behaviors.

Spaying and neutering reduces the population of unwanted and homeless animals in the world. Some 70,000 puppies and kittens are born every day in the U.S. As long as these birth rates exist, there will never be enough homes for all the animals. As a result, roughly 15,000 pets are euthanized each DAY simply because they are homeless. Most of them would be wonderful companions. Most don’t deserve to be abandoned in a shelter. Many animals that enter shelters die there because no one wants them. Only one animal in 10 born in the U.S. gets a good home that lasts a lifetime. Simply put, the widespread failure to spay or neuter dogs results in homelessness, misery, cruelty, and death.

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About Pugs

Deciding to add a pet to your family is a big decision! Make sure you’ve done your research on the pug breed to determine if a pug is the right fit for you.

Pug Rescue of Austin is unique among other pug rescues in Texas in that we rescue both purebred pugs and pug mixes. While you may have come across Pug Rescue of Austin in your search for a purebred pug, you might just discover that a pug mix would be a better fit for your lifestyle or your family. After all, pug mixes need rescuing too – and they’re pretty darn cute! Here are some of the most common questions we receive about pugs and pug mixes.

Yes! Almost every Pug snores. Some can even be loud enough that they are mistaken for a person snoring. Pugs also will snort, snuffle, wheeze, and grunt. To some, these sounds are sweet and cute, but to others they may be nerve-wracking.

Yes! Do they ever! Most Pugs have a double coat of fur where the undercoat constantly grows and pushes the overcoat out. This, coupled with their being indoor dogs that don’t shed based on the season makes for a whole lot of shedding going on!

A Pug’s face wrinkles should be cleaned and checked regularly. If not, they can hold moisture and dirt which can cause the area to become raw, sore or even infected. To clean the wrinkles, most Pugs simply need them wiped with a tissue. If you notice a foul odor coming from your Pug’s face, or he/she seems to be bothered (rubbing their face on things or digging at their face), you will want to have your vet check it out.

Pugs cannot tolerate high heat and humidity. Dogs cool off by panting and their long tongues and noses give them more cooling area. Pugs have virtually no cooling area for their bodies, so they can (and will) literally over heat and die in less than 30 minutes outdoors in high heat and/or humidity.

All Pugs, whether they are male or female, will have different personalities. Some people will swear that male Pugs are more laid back and loving, while females are more independent and active. However, you will find just as many people who feel that the opposite is true and will tell you stories about their sweet, cuddly girl Pug and their boisterous boy. That is why it’s important to spend time observing the Pug(s) that you are considering making part of your family and be sure to ask the owner/foster parent/rescue lots of questions.

Pugs are generally very friendly, and easy going. That is not to say that Pugs will always get along with other animals. A lot will depend on the personalities of both animals, also their age and size. It’s important to be aware that cats can cause permanent damage to a Pug’s eyes with their sharp claws – the same with birds and reptiles.

Of course, there will be exceptions, but the answer to this question is almost always Yes. Pugs, by nature, love people. They love to be with their people and are therefore usually found at your feet, in your lap or by your side at all times. If you want an independent dog, a Pug is not for you.

Our most common mixes are Chugs (Chihuahua/pug), Puggles (Beagle/pug), Bugs (Boston Terrier/pug) and Dachshund/pugs. We’ve also taken in pugs mixed with Pekingese, Labrador Retrievers, Boxers, Bulldogs, Poodles, Whippets and even German Shepherds.

Some of these mixes are accidents resulting from a failure to spay or neuter, and they end up in the shelter. Others are intentionally bred by backyard breeders or puppy mills, and they eventually find their way to us via a shelter or an owner surrender.

Due to certain genetic traits, purebred pugs can be an expensive, high-maintenance breed. They are prone to myriad health issues which require more veterinary care than the average breed of dog. If you don’t have the time or money to spend on pug maintenance, a mixed breed may be a better fit.

Mixed breed dogs have greater genetic diversity. Unlike purebreds, their genes aren’t related, and the best genes from both breeds tend to rise to the top. This makes them healthier, without the extremes of behavior or temperament typically found in purebreds. They are known to have more moderate temperaments, making them more flexible and able to adjust to a variety of households and lifestyles.

Pugs are a brachycephalic breed, making them low-activity, indoor-only dogs unsuited to many climates and experiences. They can’t tolerate high temperatures or humidity, two things we have a lot of in Texas. Mixes, however, tend have snouts, which cool air before it enters a dog’s body. They can usually stay outside longer and withstand more physical activity. Some of them even enjoy it! Like to hike, play Frisbee or go swimming? A pug mix might be for you.

In short, pug mixes breathe easier and better than purebreds. They’re lower-maintenance, healthier and less expensive. They’re also more active and able to spend more time outdoors. In addition, they come in a variety of shapes and sizes, unlike pugs, which are all roughly the same.

Don’t be! Purebred pugs are wonderful, and we have a lot of them, too. We take in hundreds of dogs every year, giving you many options to choose from. It all boils down to what is best for you, your lifestyle and your household.

That’s where we come in. Our trained adoption counselors and trial visit coordinators will screen your application carefully, directing you to which dogs we currently have in the rescue that might be a good fit. Once you’re approved, you can then talk to their foster parent to find out what they’re like. And if we don’t have any dogs that fit the bill at the moment, we’ll hold onto your approved application until we get one in. We get new dogs in every other day!

Another option is to attend one of our weekly adoption events. There, you can meet several of the dogs we have available, spending time with them to determine their suitability. Our adoption counselors and foster parents are there to help you too.

You can narrow down your interests by examining your household. Do you live an active and outdoorsy lifestyle? You may want a sturdy puggle. Do you live downtown, in an apartment or condo? A small chug might be a good fit. Do you want a dog park dog? Consider a bug. Do you work from home and want a mellow dog to keep you company all day? A purebred pug could be the perfect companion. Can’t decide? Not a problem – we’ll help you find your forever pug.